Influential soul icon, Wilson Pickett, soared with his stunning 1968 classic, I’m In Love. A collection of his strongest material, the album highlights Pickett’s expressive vocals and maturing musicianship. The record features the beloved cuts, “Jealous Love,” “I’m In Love” and “She’s Lookin’ Good.” The recording is yet another milestone in an always-consistent career.

Surely no one was expecting a “quiet storm” album from Wilson Pickett in 1968, and that sure isn’t what they got with I’m in Love, but the Wicked Pickett sounds a lot more convincing on this album’s romantic numbers than anyone would have had a right to expect from one of the baddest cats of Southern soul. Of course, there aren’t all that many romantic ballads here, but Pickett’s rough-and-ready soul shouting manages to sound just as convincing on “Bring It On Home to Me” and “That Kind of Love” as he does on the pained “Jealous Love” and a properly intense rip through “Stagger Lee.” Pickett makes the most of the songwriting contributions from frequent collaborators Bobby Womack and Don Covay, while Tommy Cogbill and his crew of Muscle Shoals session heavyweights offer music which keeps up with Pickett for guts, soul, and drive — no small statement, considering Pickett’s richly deserved reputation as one of the strongest and most consistent artists of the period. Like most R&B albums of the period, I’m in Love sounds more like a set of tunes than a unified album, but it’s a good set of tunes, performed with Pickett’s usual high level of passion and skill, and if you’re any kind of fan you’ll revel in it. –Mark Deming

On the rare gem, A Funky Situation, Wilson Pickett blends his trademark soul with elements of disco. Produced by Don Daily and Rick Hall, the effort includes horn arrangements done by the great, Harrison Calloway Jr. Released in 1978, the album features one of Pickett’s all time classics, “Lay Me Like You Hate Me,” the perfect showcase of his musical genius.